Vol. 19-2（2006/9）
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On Robert E. Stake’s Responsive Evaluation Approach in Educational Program
Chia-Hsiung Huang*
For several decades, the standard-based or preordinate evaluation approach has assumed a dominant position in educational evaluation in Taiwan. However, on the other hand, some evaluation scholars have been strongly recommended an alternative evaluation approach, named responsive or client-centered evaluation, since 1980’s. Inspired by the criticism of uselessness in the finding of the preordinate evaluation for the clients and the stakeholders of the evaluation, they argued that evaluation should be more responsive to the concerning issues of the clients and stakeholders rather than to a preordinate evaluation plan, more oriented to the program activities rather than to its intents, more reflective to the different value perspectives of the people in and around the program rather than to a fixed evaluation standard. In other words, the responsive evaluation is created by the idea of increasing the usefulness of the evaluation finding for persons in and around the program. It is worth of paying more attention to, and making more use of, the responsive evaluation approach for Taiwan educational evaluators if they want the educational evaluation to be more useful for the clients and the stakeholders in and around the program.
To this end, the article inquires into the conceptual rising and forming, the core ideas and study methods, and the methodological assumptions of the responsive evaluation, based on Robert E. Stake’s writings. In addition to this, the author also discusses some criticism of the responsive evaluation and provides some suggestions for its implementation in the curriculum evaluation in Taiwan.
Keyword: program evaluation, educational evaluation, curriculum evaluation, responsive evaluation approach, Robert E. Stake.
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Z. Bauman on Individualized Society and It’s Imply on Curriculum Reform
Teng Huang*
This essay focuses on discussing the great sociologist Z. Bauman’s arguments on Individualized Society, proposing some suggestions for Taiwan curriculum reform. The essay can be divided into three parts. First, it introduced the discussion of Individualized society proposed by Bauman. Also, it introduced his perspective on modernity and postmodernity. Second, it tried to reflect on the society situation and curriculum in Taiwan from the point of view of Individualized society. Third, from the perspective of Individualized society, it tried to give some suggestions for the Taiwan curriculum reform in the future. These suggestions are divided into three points. First, the curriculum reform has to face directly the politic ideology problems from the perspective of the global society. Second, the curriculum reform should care about the strangers and underclass more by providing more social service. Third, self-creation can be used as the power to push the curriculum reform.
Keyword: postmodernity, Bauman, individualized society, curriculum reform
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The Inquiry About Teachers’ Understanding
Mei-Ju Chen*
This article aims to explore the reasons, meanings, the possible ways and the ideal of teachers’ curriculum understanding based on their experiences as teachers in the real world. Through this self-learning, spontaneous, and authentic curriculum approach, we hope the teachers would turn back to the impoverished and simple learning and realize the significance of the mutual understanding and sincere interaction with persons and the environment. To this end, the teachers have to understand the past, face the present, wait for the future, and find their positions in the process of curriculum understanding.
Keyword: curriculum, curriculum understanding, curriculum inquiry
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A Call for Action: The Training of Mentor Teachers
Chih-Lin Sun*
Student teachers need high quality induction from their mentor teachers. Mentor teachers need support and guidance as well. If mentor teachers have enough professional competence, the mentoring programs could be more effective. It is possible that student teachers enhance their learning and growth through mentoring and induction. However, most mentor teachers do not know how to help student teachers and they haven’t participated in the mentor training. The quality of mentoring is frequently inadequate to produce the kind of impact. This paper explored the design issues about mentor teacher training programs. Findings will be useful as an action guide for teacher education institutions and practicum schools. The design of training programs took into consideration the following three conceptual models: the competence-based model, the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) cycle model, and the human resource development model. These provided helpful information as to how to design an effective training program for mentor teachers. It also discussed key issues about mentor teacher training programs. Finally, some suggestions for training mentor teachers were offered.
Keyword: mentor teacher, training program, mentoring
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The Flow Teachers: How Teachers’ Flow Experiences Relate to Their Creative Teaching
Wei-Wen Lin*
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation among teachers’ flow experiences in teaching, intrinsic motivation, reflection on teaching and their creative teaching. The sample consisted of 233 participants, including 75 junior high school teachers and 158 elementary school teachers. Among these teachers, 58 were male, while 175 were female. Correlation, multiple regression, and structural equation model were used for date analysis. The results indicated that those teachers with high teaching flow experiences, intrinsic motivation, and reflection on teaching revealed more creative teaching behavior. And the intrinsic motivation and reflection on teaching were also the important factors of teachers’ teaching flow experience.
Keyword: flow experience, intrinsic motivation, reflection on teaching, creative teaching
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Chiung-Sui Chang & Want-Tzu Weng*
The purposes of this study were to investigate the demographic variables and current status of information technology integrated into instruction, and the in-service teachers’ competency regarding information technology integrated into instruction and instructional design. The participants of this study are 233 elementary school in-service teachers from 34 schools in different areas of Taipei. The study was investigated by using questionnaire developed by the researcher. Data were analyzed by using statistic methods which included t-test, ANOVA analysis, post hoc comparison, and Pearson correlation.
The major findings are presented in the following: (1)There was a strong correlation relationship within the competency of information technology integrated into instruction and the competency of instructional design. (2)There were significant differences among the variables regarding in-service teachers’ motivation and attitude regarding information integrated into their instruction. (3)There were significant differences on in-service teachers’ instructional competency between different levels of information technology skills. (4)Other findings and suggestions are also provided in this study.
Keyword: information technology integration, instructional competence, elementary school in-service teachers
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Fang-Chung Chang*
Data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey of 2003 (TIMSS 2003) were used to investigate variables that predicted achievement in mathematics of 8th graders in Taiwan. The sample consisted of 4,636 participants in this study. Our variables were categorized to four dimensions, that is, cultural capital, school’s factors, outside school’s factors, and student’s characters factors. Our study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test a proposed model. In the study, the indexes used to test the fitness of the model included the χ 2 value, GFI, AGFI, IFI, CFI, PGFI, NNFI, RMR, RMSEA, CN, and Q-plot. All the indexes showed that the model was a fit model. Based on this model, cultural capital, school’s factors, outside school’s factors, and student’s factors significantly influenced mathematic achievement. Especially, the student’s characters was the most important factor in the model. From these findings, some suggestions were given.
Keyword: The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), mathematic achievement, Structural Equation Modeling( SEM)
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Quality Analysis of the Role and Focus in Counseling Supervision
Chu-Mei Lan*
The objectives of this research were to understand the role and focus in counseling supervision by applying Rational Emotional Behavioral Therapy (REBT) to view the supervision process and to supervise the counselor subject in an eclectic approach. This was a qualitative research study using unique-case sampling. The subject has been a male who is a counselor, teacher, and researcher of REBT for many years, supervising postgraduate students who counsel clients at the mental health center. The research data were recorded opinions about the supervision in 96 case records. The researcher transformed the handwritten manuscripts into electronic computer file format, then coded the data (for process coding and induction analysis), and finally used Bernard’s discrimination model for the analysis. The results were presented as follows: The counseling supervision of REBT was more about the teacher role, consultants, but less about the counselor role. The supervision focused on the process skills (or intervention skills), (including basic-communication skills, developing skills and strategies, changing skills, initial and ending skills), conceptualization skills (including forming the concepts to the clients, specific problem, and strategies), and personalization skills (including self-awareness of emotional characters that would influence the effectiveness of counseling, and the identification of professional ethics). Suggestions for future research and practices in relation to these results are offered.
Keyword: the discrimination model, supervisor role, the focus of supervision, rational emotional behavioral therapy
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Teacher Work’s Vertical Segregation by Gender
Yu-Ling Guo*
This paper is composed of four parts. First, it describes the situation of teacher work’s vertical segregation by gender in secondly and primary schools in the United Kingdom, United States, and Taiwan. Second, it compares social differences of male leaders vs. female leaders in the educational area. Third, it analyzes the possible reasons of teacher work’s vertical segregation by gender. Finally, it puts forward five solutions about teacher work’s vertical segregation by gender, including: (1) to enhance the gender equity education in order to get rid of gender stereotypes; (2) to cultivate the individuals with both manhood and womanhood; (3) to advocate the social idea and custom that men need to do housework and take care of children more frequently; (4) to establish a good supporting and caring system; and (5) to encourage female teachers to join teacher organizations and bravely express their opinions for themselves.
Keyword: teachers, gender, vertical segregation
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Anli Tiang, Tsai-Wei Huang, & Suyuan Yang*
The purpose of this study was to realize the impact of gender role attitude (GRA), family role commitment (FRC), and job role commitment (JRC) of couples on marriage satisfaction (MS) in dual-income families. There were 402 dual-income families randomly selected in Taiwan. Both husbands and wives participated in the GRA scale, FRC scale, JRC scale and MS scale. Through the multiple stepwise regression analysis, results showed that wives’ marriage satisfaction was highly correlated with husbands’ gender role attitudes, family role commitment, and job role commitment. However, husbands’ marriage satisfaction was only highly correlated with wives’ family role commitment and job role commitment. Furthermore, husbands’ marriage satisfaction was dominantly influenced by wives’ marriage satisfaction, their own and gender role attitude, numbers of children, and wives’ personal income with a total of 42% variance explained. On the other hand, husbands’ marriage satisfaction, husbands’ personal income, and wives’ family role commitment and job role commitment as well as types of work dominantly affected wives’ marriage satisfaction with a total of 43% variance explained. Based on research findings, several recommendations were also provided in this study.
Keyword: dual-income family, gender role attitude, role commitment, marriage satisfaction
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Investigation on Transmission of Social Capital in Family Inter-Generation Human Capital
Hsin-Fu Chou & Tsai-Yin Wang*
The study aims to investigate the influence of transmitting process of social capital in the family inter-generation human capital. That is, it investigates the relationships among parent’s human capital, economic capital, social capital, and children’s academic achievement. In this study, we represent parent’s educational achievement as parent’s human capital. Family monthly income represents parent’s economic capital. And mathematics’ achievement represents children’s human capital. Can parent’s human capital and economic capital be helpful for promoting children’s human capital through the application of social capital? The sample of this study consisted of 953 12th graders in junior high schools. This study used a questionnaire survey to collect data. The results of this study showed that family social capital significantly influenced the transmitting process of family human capital from generation to generation. And high level students in family social capital have good mathematics’ achievement.
Keyword: family social capital, community social capital, human capital mathematics’ achievement
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Ruo-Lan Liu*
The purpose of this study was to explore and compare the campus experiences and racial identity development of aboriginal and Han college students in a multi-racial institute of technology. The samples of the research were 215 aboriginal and 360 Han fourth-year female students in a five-year nursing program in a multiracial institute of technology. By using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the research data were collected. The questionnaire used in the study consisted of the college campus experience scale and racial identity development scale. After analyzing the quantitative data, a qualitative interview was conducted to supplement the results that quantitative survey could not obtain.
The findings of the research are as following: 1. The variables that the aboriginal college students scored significantly lower than the Han college students are: academic involvement and interactions with Han college students. The only one variable that the aboriginal college students scored significantly higher is in interactions with aboriginal college students. 2. As for the relationship between campus experience and aboriginal college student racial identity development, interactions with aboriginal college students has significantly positive correlation with Internalization and Contact stages. Also, participation in activities has a significant positive correlation with Immersion/Emersion and Contact stages. Besides, social integration and participation in activities has a significant negative correlation with Preencounter stage. 3. For the relationship between campus experience and Han college student racial identity development, interactions with aboriginal college students have a significant positive correlation with Autonomy and Contact stages, but has a negative correlation with Disintegration and Reintegration stage; the social integration and activity participation has a significant positive correlation with Autonomy stage, but has a negative correlation with Disintegration and Reintegration stage; academic involvement and interactions with Han college students also has a significant positive correlation with Autonomy stage. Finally, recommendations for practices are presented.
Keyword: aboriginal college students, Han college students, campus experiences, racial identity development
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Min-Hua Chung*
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of induction program on the pre-service physical education teacher’s teaching behaviors. The subject was one senior student enrolled in the physical education teacher training program at an University of Education in Taiwan. The research procedures included: (1) the participant completed lesson plans, (2) the participant went through teaching procedures, (3) evaluations on videotaping on the teaching procedures, (4) interviews for the content of effective teaching, and (5) written field notes. Physical Education Teacher Assessment Instrument (PETAI) was used to analyze each teaching videotape. Descriptive data and content analysis were recorded to show the percentage of time in each behavioral category and interview transcripts. Within the limitations of this study, the findings were: 1. the pre-service physical educator spent more time on instruction than management, but the percentage of spending time on instruction was lower than that in the finding of most effective physical educators. 2. the effective teaching behaviors of the pre-service physical educator were found that they are stabled improving through the induction program, especially those were on the teaching behaviors of monitored and behavioral management. 3. the induction program could help the pre-service physical educator to understand and extend the knowledge of effective teaching and be applied to his teaching processes.
Key words: induction program, mentor, Physical Education Teacher Assessment Instrument systematic observation, pre-service physical educator
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Yeh-Jung Tsai & Yi-Hsiang Chen*
The purpose of the study was to analyze program satisfaction among audiences on the performance of physical education of National Taipei University of Education. Two hundred and thirty-three (233) audiences participated this study (109 male and 124 female audiences). Collected data revealed that all audiences satisfied with all programs, that the two top programs on the ranking of satisfaction were rope-jumping and diabolo, and that there were significant differences on the program satisfaction among grades of audiences, and department of audiences, and sex of audiences. The highest program satisfaction was found on freshmen. The program satisfaction of department of Physical Education was higher than other departments on sport dance by wheelchair, soccer, piling up people, and taekwondo, and the program satisfaction on track and field, hip-hop, and Broadway were reversed. The program satisfaction of males was higher than that of females on sport dance by wheelchair, soccer, and taekwondo, and the program satisfaction on gymnastic for all, hip-hop, and Broadway were reversed. Based on these findings, implications for the performance of physical education were provided.
Keyword: satisfaction, program, performance of physical education
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Tsung-Chan Tsai & Min-Hua Chung*
The main purpose of this study was to explore the concerns of the recreational sports behavior and physical education (PE) teaching ability for the female primary PE teachers in Keelung city. There were 266 valid participants. The questionnaire, “The recreational sports behavior and PE teaching ability concerns of female teachers in primary schools,” was revised, and the data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The main findings were presented as follows: (1) Most of the female primary schools’ teachers in Keelung City did exercise sometimes, twice a week, per hour per time, approximately. The family members were the main partners. Most of them did exercise in the suburbs. The cost was less than NT$500 per time. The five main exercise items were: walking, Yoga, jogging, hiking, and playing badminton. (2) There were significant differences in the PE teaching ability for those with different sports experience. The teachers with sports experience obviously had better teaching ability. There were significant differences in the PE teaching ability for those with different sports habits and with different participation. The teachers with regular sports habits and high-participation obviously had better teaching ability than their counterparts.
Keyword: female teacher, physical education teaching ability, recreational sports behavior.
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The Fable’s Basic Techniques and its Characteristic of Plot
Chun-Shang Wu*
The structure of Fable is expressed the implied meaning by a story. Both the Fable’s story and its related actual event must include the relation of analogy or hint, then the story can reveal its implied meaning; therefore, both simile and symbolization are Fable’s hidden basic techniques. Furthermore, the Fable’s story must contain a plot and roles which can be animals or mankinds. When roles are animals, Fable needs personification of rhetoric; and when roles are mankinds, Fable needs hyperbole of rhetoric in its plot, too. These two kinds of techniques directly appear in the story, so are of evident basic techniques. Whether the rhetoric is hidden or evident, both are Fable’s basic techniques. Personification and hyperbole bestow Fable with fictitious appearance, but simile and symbolization normalize its content with real life; therefore, the Fable’s plot provides the quality of “beyond expectation, but within reason” with these four basic techniques.
Keyword: simile, symbolization, personification, hyperbole, fictitious
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From Li and Gi to Discuss the Highest Good of the Confucianists
Hsiu-Mei Teng*
‘The highest good’ is the term that Kant initiated, and its meaning is that there must be lots of happiness to match with the perfect moral. This idea that developed into Mr. Mou, Zong-San has turned into another meaning, the highest good of the satisfactory religion. To Mr. Mou's way of doing things, someone accepts, someone suspects, no matter accept or suspect, all discuss around ‘happiness,’ the concept. This study argues that Mr. Mou is indeed better than Kant, but he settled that the highest good on the concept of happiness is not appropriate. If putting it on the relation of li and gi, then it will infer that what is called the highest good has to base itself on the harmonious and identical relation of li and gi. Thus we will omit a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings, and express the great worth of the highest good.
Keyword: the highest good, moral and existence, li and gi, quiet with an open mind.
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A study of the Befitted Numbers and Rates of Seger Glaze Formulas
Zenpin Lee*
Whether glaze formulas are fine and transparent by the numbers and rates of Seger glaze formulas can be predicted; however, so many researches had different statements about the numbers and rates of Seger glaze formulas. This study used experimental method to explore the purposes: (1) to explicate the contents and characters of Seger glaze formulas, (2) to define the befitted number interval of neutrality and acidity of Seger glaze formulas, (3) to define the befitted rate interval of alkalinity-acidity and neutrality-acidity of Seger glaze formulas. The study experimented 144 glaze formulas to focus the suitable number interval of neutrality and acidity, and then experimented 72 glaze formulas to define the suitable rate interval of alkalinity-acidity and neutrality-acidity. The study judged the glaze effects by founding, fluxion, adhesion, shrink, transparency, kibe, and crystal. The results are: (1) Seger glaze formulas are represented by RO．xR2O3．yRO2 and have precise contents, convenient to communicate and predict whether glaze formulas are fine and transparent; however, Seger glaze formulas have reluctant transition procedure and necessary forehand data; (2) the befitted number interval of Seger glaze formulas are: (a) neutrality is 0.2-1.0 and (b) acidity is 2.0-10.0; (3) the befitted rate interval of Seger glaze formulas are: (a) alkalinity- acidity is 3.4-6.5 and (b) neutrality- acidity is 6.4-10.1.
Keyword: ceramic arts, glaze, Seger glaze formula.
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Study on A. Schoenberg’s Three Pieces for Piano: Op. 11, No. 3
Shwu-Ing Luoh*
Arnold Schoenberg is undoubtedly the most important and also controversial composer in western music. In his musical career, from 1908 to the First World War, his music has changed from tonality to atonality. The main purpose of this article is to provide an analysis of his Three Pieces for Piano, Op 11, No. 3. This piece broke away completely from the bind of tonality, and has entered into the sphere of atonality. All the characters of this piece, the form, the melody, the harmony, the dynamics, the range and the time signature, etc., will be analyzed. The comprehension of this piece will help us to study the course of Schoenberg’s musical evolution and his musical experiment in the field of atonality.
Keyword: Arnold Schoenberg, Twelve Semitone, Atonality, Tonality, Piano Solo
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The Different Groups’ Preference to the Appearances of Golf Putters
Chun-Di Chen & Wu-Hong Pan*
Instead of the benefits from material innovation and human factor performance, golf putters are designed with significant consideration in their appearance. This study focuses on the consumers’ preference to the appearance of golf putter, with a view to exploring the interrelation between the consumers’ attributions and the features of appearance of golf putter. The results are expected to establish a framework for the design strategy of golf putters. The appearance of golf putters is represented in terms of six features: aim, face, surface, balance, psychology, and shape. Ten samples of putters are selected and then reviewed on the basis of the six characteristics by 127 consumers whose attributions are representive including the gender, the experience in playing golf, the age, and the background in design. The variety in preference is then analyzed by multi-dimensional scaling analysis.
Results of MDS showing the preference distribution allow us to find difference preference determinants amongst the groups with different attributions. In other words, the consumers with different attributions present different ways in determining their preference. Finally, even given putters with a strong image in functionality, the results indicate that symbolic meaning plays an important role in determining the purchase willing.
Keyword: product design, golf putter, MDS
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Researching Regulatory Governance for Privatisation of Public Utilities: Issues and Reflections
Kuo-Tai Cheng*
The purpose of this paper identifies five issues arising from governance changes in the privatisation and regulatory process in the public utilities. This paper provides the research methodology to structuring the complexity of governance arrangements in order to building in “publicness” into privatisation and regulation. Given the variety of statements in the field of public management, it can be argued that the institutional analysis to privatisation policy and regulatory governance provides a more effective response than narrow “traditional” notion of NPM to deficiencies of privatising public utilities. This paper insists that regulatory governance for privatising public utilities should be developed, and that the evolution of regulatory system has been consistent with regulatory governance and hence it is equally applicable to all network utilities regulation.
Keyword: regulatory governance, privatisation, institutional approach, participation, accountability, transparency, independence
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Chow-Chin Lu, Pei-Chen Shih, & Chun-Wei Tsai*
This study was conducted on the basis of the nature and life science and technology curriculum program, teaching goals of natural curriculum to compile the conception cognition of the chapter, story script and take pictures. Furthermore, this study used Ulead Mediastudio Pro7.0, Audio Editor, PhotoImpact or PhotoShop and Macromedia Flash MX software, etc., to make CD-ROM picture books, and used the quasi-experimental method to inquire the teaching effect.
The result indicated that the experimental-group students using CD-ROM picture books integrated into teaching were definitely superior to the control-group students for science reading comprehension. CD-ROM picture books which have story-situation guidance promoted the experimental-group students’ interest to study. Practical animal pictures and scientific terms illustration included in the CD-Rom picture books could also promote students to understand the scientific terms and descriptive conception. The visual and hearing of the experimental group students were improved and they could use their own language to thoroughly describe their cognition and concept of insect structure and behaviors in rich details. The control-group students described the conceptual sentence mostly copy from the textbook writing narration, and they lacked detail observation regarding insect structure and behavior.
Keyword: CD-ROM picture books, integrate teaching, science reading comprehension, descriptive conception.
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Kuo-Tai Chen*
The study investigated one elementary school experienced expert on natural science and living technology teacher on her practical knowledge and development of this knowledge. Qualitative research method was used for this case study. Data were collected by naturalistic observations, interviews, and documentary analysis. The following results were found after one year of research. (1) The contents of practical knowledge of the elementary school experienced expert on natural science and living technology teacher included primarily the following: Knowledge of classroom management, knowledge of general pedagogy, and knowledge of pedagogical content. (2) The practical knowledge of the elementary school experienced expert on natural science and living technology teacher is worked and developed under the teachers’ characteristic of empathy. (3) The development of the elementary school experienced expert on natural science and living technology teacher’s practical knowledge is lateral advance. (4) The elementary school experienced expert on natural science and living technology teacher reflects on a lot of initiative practical knowledge from the early educational experience when entering the teacher training college and receiving the teacher training courses. (5) Part of reflection on practical knowledge from the early educational experience cannot be transferred into application immediately after the edification of teacher training courses. The developing course starts from “The Original Stage → The Incubational Stage → The Break-through Stage”, and also the teaching experience in students’ learning comprehension of the elementary school experienced expert on natural science and living technology teachers seems to be the key point of the whole developing course. (6) Some of the practical knowledge of the elementary school experienced expert on natural science and living technology teachers is put to the proof and strengthened by the real teaching experience, and after that, it is developed steadier.
Keyword: elementary school, experienced expert natural science and living technology teacher, practical knowledge, development
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A Study of Integrating Information Technology into Solid Net Course for Fourth Graders
Chun-Lien Wei & Kaung-Hsung Chen*
The purpose of this paper by integrating IT into solid net course is to explore the learning effect on the spatial abilities of fourth graders. The research adopts the approach of pre-test and post-test of singular group of quasi-experimental design. The subjects of this study consist 26 students of fourth graders. The performance of those students in pre-test, post-test and follow-up test, the transcript of lesson plans, the in-depth interviews and teaching introspection are used as the sources for data collection. The data are analyzed both by means of quality and quantity.
The results of this study are listed in the following. 1. The performance of spatial ability of students who have middle or higher mathematical achievement is significantly better than that of the students who have lower mathematical achievement. 2. The performance of spatial ability in relation to gender shows no significant difference. 3. The performance of spatial ability in folding part is better than that of the developing part for students. Besides, the score of the two-dimensional part is better than that of the three- dimensional part. 4. The experimental course shows positive, instant, reserved and retained effects on improving spatial ability learning of students. 5. The teaching method of experimental course can facilitate the understanding for those students, deepen the impression of curriculum and make students to be more interested in related study. Finally, some suggestions are offered to improve teaching material and pedagogy in mathematics as well as some recommendations for future researches.
Keyword: spatial ability, solid net, learning effect
